Drivers of disease emergence and spread: Is wildlife to blame?

• Published in: Onderstepoort journal of veterinary research Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. E1 - 4
• Main Author: Kock, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: South Africa African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS 23.04.2014; AOSIS (Pty) Ltd; ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute - Agricultural Research Council; AOSIS
• Subjects: Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science; Anatomy & Morphology; Animal populations; Animals; Animals, Wild; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Biodiversity; Communicable diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - epidemiology; Development and progression; Disease Reservoirs - veterinary; Disease transmission; Distribution; Domestic animals; Health aspects; Humans; Infectious diseases; Livestock; Pathogens; Pharmacology & Pharmacy; Physiology; Spatial distribution; Veterinary Sciences; Wildlife; Zoonoses - epidemiology

The global focus on wildlife as a major contributor to emerging pathogens and infectious diseases (EIDs) in humans and domestic animals is not based on field, experimental or dedicated research, but mostly on limited surveys of literature, opinion and the assumption that biodiversity harbours pathog...